A couple of years back I read Isaac’s Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History, a book about the 1900 Great Galveston Hurricane, which to date, is the deadliest natural disaster in the United States History. Ever since I read that book I had a strange desire to visit this place.
The trip took years to happen and by then I had completely forgotten about Galveston…..about the book.
But when the trip did happen, it turned out to be a memorable one.
Unfortunately, there are no direct flights to Galveston and the closest airport is the Houston Hobby International Airport which is approx. 42 miles away. We wanted to explore Texas to decided to do a road trip instead.
We left Dallas around 6 in the evening and thanks to the office traffic which had not yet died down, had to go through the Uptown and Design District before finally hitting the freeway.
I am soo happy to have stopped at Mama Juanita in Huntsville, TX to have dinner because by the time we reached Galveston it was after midnight and almost everything was closed.
Everyone was super tired after the long drive so we just hit the sack right away.
DAY-1
Our hotel was located very close to the Galveston Fishing Pier and had easy access to the beach. Usually, when we visit a beach town we try to have direct access to the beach which makes life soo much easier.
After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, we headed down to the beach. Let’s be honest, the water was not the cleanest nor the gleaming blue, but hey, I’ll take it.
The kids played in the water for a long time while we relaxed on the beach. Earlier we had decided to take a trip on the Port Bolivar Ferry but since the kids were having oodles on fun in the water, we decided to postpone it for next time.
Later in the day, we drove around to see the Historic Sites in Galveston.
We started off with the East End Historical District and the Tree Sculptures Tour. It is a self-guided tour where you get to see the amazing work of all the artists who have tried to bring life back to the city after Hurricane Ike in 2008. Most of the sculptures are on private property but are visible from the outside. These sculptures have become so popular that now you can find them all over the Island.
Our next stop was the Bishop Palace also known as the Gresham House. This majestic building made up of stone was sturdy enough to hold grounds during the 1900 Hurricane and provided shelter to hundreds of the survivors. Today, this building is more of a museum and is a National Historic Landmark.
The museum is open 7 days of the week and you can enjoy Audio Tours powered by Acoustiguide which allow the visitors to see historical images along with the audio. Unfortunately, there are no ramps for wheelchair/walker/stroller accessibility so plan accordingly.
Right across the Bishop Palace is the historic Sacred Heart Church. The architecture of this church demands serious attention. It is pristine white which makes it more appealing and holy.
Galveston’s historic town is full of grand mansions and these majestic buildings have their own stories to tell.
Later in the evening, we headed towards the Historic Strand District.
Strand District has a touristy but in a less rushed way feel. There are plenty of cafes, pubs, restaurants, boutiques and specialty stores to enjoy. A lot of places have outdoor seating which is highly recommended. We ate at the Mediterranean Chef which unfortunately is permanently closed now.
Strand District visit is incomplete without checking out the Railroad Museum or the giant chess set in Saengerfest Park.
If you are too tired to walk, you can enjoy a carriage/horse ride. That’s what happened to us as after walking around the various districts my kids refused to take another step so we ended up enjoying the Strand on a beautiful horse-driven carriage. The carriage was clean and the driver was very knowledgeable who not only told us the history of the historic district but the whole island as well.
We ended our day with a stroll on the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier which reminded me of the Santa Monica Pier in Southern California.
There are thrilling rides, yummy food options and a good place to purchase souvenirs and the best part was our favorite seafood joint “Bubba Gump” which we were badly craving.
You can walk a certain distance on the pier for free but to access the rides you have to buy either single-ride or day pass. In my opinion, the price is pretty steep if you just want to ride a ride or two.
DAY-2
After much contemplation went for breakfast at “Jimmy’s on the Pier” as it was walkable distance but other worthy places to check out for breakfast are or “The Sunflower Bakery and Cafe” and or “Mosquito Café . Loved the view as well as the food.
After breakfast, we drove along the SeaWall Boulevard. also known as FM 3005 F.M. 3005 which is the busiest road in Galveston. The seawall is approx. 10 miles, much of which is adorned with murals and have loads of restaurants,
Also, take a moment to check out the 1900 Bronze Storm Memorial in remembrance of the victims and survivors of the deadliest hurricane in US History.
If you are in a mood for amusement type outing then Moody Gardens which consists of Rainforest, Aquarium and Discovery Pyramids and is an educational attraction focusing on nature or Schlitterbahn Water Park with outdoor attractions are amazing options.
We decided to take the land and water tour by “Galveston Island Duck Tours”.
It is an hour-long narrated tour of Galveston covering around 15 miles of the island. The tour leaves from the Pleasure Pier where parking is a hassle so plan to be there at least 30 minutes prior so you can find a parking spot or you will miss the tour.
The duck boat drives on land and then floats in the bay. Our “Captain” was a fun guy and we saw and learned things we would have definitely missed otherwise.
I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Galveston for the first time especially if you have kids because they will truly enjoy it.
After, the tour we drove around and saw the Old City Cemetary, Bryan Museum, Rosenberg Library, Moody Mansion, Broadway, Texas Heroes Monument, Ashton Villa and the Strand District again.
My kids badly wanted pizza and luckily Mama Teresa’s Flying Pizza had the option of Gluten Free crust (my younger one has food allergies)so we ended up going there. Loved the ambiance as well as the food. Highly recommended if you are in the mood for Italian.
The next day after checkout, the kids played for another couple of hours on the beach before we hit the road.
Stopped at Aga’s in Houston for a yummy brunch and drove around to get a feel of Houston. Man, it was humid!!!!.
Also said hi to Mr. Sam Houston’s tall statue named “A Tribute to Courage”.
The dusky Dallas skyline welcomed us as we made an end to our beautiful weekend getaway.
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